Putin and Trump fail on peace deal

‘I fled the Taliban using a wheelbarrow as a getaway vehicle’ | A Telegraph Dating love story

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Saturday, 16 August 2025 Issue No. 174

Good morning. Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin emerged from three hours of closed-door talks in Alaska without a Ukraine peace deal. At a short, joint press conference, Putin spoke for more than twice as long as the US president. Trump called the meeting “very productive”. Meanwhile, the Russian president said the conflict would never have happened had Trump been president in 2022. Connor Stringer, our Deputy US Editor, was in Alaska to tell us what happened inside the room. Chris Evans, Telegraph Editor P.S. You can enjoy a full year’s access to The Telegraph for £29.   In today’s edition Ben Riley-Smith meets Robert Jenrick — Britain’s biggest airports, ranked from worst to best — Plus, why a G&T is better for you than a glass of wine

We believe in freedom Free press. Free speech. Free markets. If you share these values, join us today. Enjoy a full year’s access to The Telegraph for £29. Subscribe now   Putin and Trump fail to reach Ukraine peace deal Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin met for talks in Alaska Connor Stringer Deputy US Editor   When Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin began their press conference after three hours of high-stakes talks in Alaska, the world watched in anticipation. The US president began by praising the Russian leader and hailing the summit as “extremely productive”. But he soon admitted that a deal to end the long-running conflict had not been agreed. “We had an extremely productive meeting, and many points were agreed to,” Mr Trump said in a press conference at the Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. “There are just a very few that are left. Some are not that significant. One is probably the most significant, but we have a very good chance of getting there.” “There’s no deal until there’s a deal,” he added. After just 12 minutes, the pair departed the stage giving little detail of what they agreed to. It was an anticlimactic ending to an otherwise friendly meeting that began when the US president greeted Putin with a smile and an outstretched hand as he departed his presidential plane. Under the roar of a military flyover, Mr Trump had rolled out the red carpet for his Russian counterpart for his first visit to the US in a decade. Yet it was Putin who appeared to drive proceedings, delivering the open remarks and stealing the last weekend with a suggestion he and the US president would talk next in Moscow. After days of anticipation, the Russian leader will feel he has shown the world he is back where he belongs, with a seat at the table of global politics. Continue reading ➤ Plus: • Dominic Nicholls, in Alaska | Putin got exactly what he wanted from Trump • Samuel Ramani | Putin will be laughing all the way back to the Kremlin • Daniel DePetris | Trump has just discovered he isn’t as powerful as he thought he was   Opinion David Frost Britain is getting worse, and the old politics offers no solutions No matter what the establishment claims, the public can sense that the country is at a tipping point Continue reading ➤     Jake Wallis Simons This is how Leftist Israelophobia morphs into unabashed anti-Semitism Continue reading ➤     Daniel Johnson Even Italy is richer than Starmer’s socialist Britain Continue reading ➤     Richard Kemp Europe’s leaders have failed Ukraine – they have no right to a seat at the table Continue reading ➤     Jeremy Warner A reliance on capricious foreign investors has left Britain on a knife-edge Continue reading ➤     Neil Record The British public will never forgive Labour’s latest cruel pension raid Continue reading ➤     Anne-Elisabeth Moutet France is melting, but the Left won’t thaw on air-con Continue reading ➤   Sharpen your talking points Explore incisive opinion from Britain’s leading comment writers One year for £29 Subscribe now   Today’s Headlines Two-tier justice row after ‘cut their throats’ Labour councillor cleared No point arresting shoplifters when courts set them free, says policing chief Migrants living near schools puts students at ‘unacceptable’ risk, says council Barbie screening cancelled after Muslim youths complain of ‘homosexuality’ Queen moved to tears as veteran comforts King over cancer diagnosis MasterChef shows same shot of Gregg Wallace three times in editing blunder   Weekend reads Akhtar Makoii fled Taliban fighters like those pictured on a US Humvee ‘I fled the Taliban in a rusty wheelbarrow when Kabul fell’ It’s been four years since the Taliban took over Afghanistan in a lightning assault that culminated in the fall of Kabul. It’s also been four years since Akhtar Makoii, our correspondent, escaped the new regime and crossed the border into Pakistan – with a rusty wheelbarrow as his getaway vehicle. If he had stayed, he might not be alive today. This is his story of survival. Continue reading ➤   Robert Jenrick says judges who wish to enter the political sphere themselves should resign and go into politics Time to sack ‘activist’ judges, says Jenrick Robert Jenrick gave The Telegraph an hour of his time to outline his new policy proposal to make it easier to sack “activist” judges. It is eye-catching and provocative, like a lot of the Tory shadow justice secretary’s recent interventions. Mr Jenrick has given few set-piece interviews since his defeat in the Conservative leadership race last summer. He talks small boats, viral videos – and whether he still harbours hopes of leading his party one day. Continue reading ➤   Britain’s 30 biggest airports, ranked from worst to best Some 261 million people passed through British airports last year, making the UK the world’s third-largest market for aviation. But what of the nation’s airports? From sprawling international hubs to compact regional terminals, we compared 30 British airports across a range of metrics to come up with a definitive ranking of the very best (and worst). Continue reading ➤   James and Jill Howard discovered each other through the Telegraph Dating website Credit: Russell Sach ‘We met through Telegraph Dating and bonded over our Brexit views’ It’s never too late to find the (second) love of your life. So says Jill Howard, who was devastated when her husband died after 37 years of marriage. Eventually, a chance conversation with a colleague spurred her to try Telegraph Dating, which is celebrating 20 years of matchmaking. There, James caught her eye – and their relationship soon blossomed. Continue reading ➤   The foreign phrases you keep using on holiday – but really shouldn’t Is it a little churlish to mock those who try to speak the local language? Maybe so, but four of The Telegraph’s overseas experts have totted up the most common and toe-curling linguistic blunders made by well-meaning tourists. It’s only when reading the English equivalents of some of these familiar phrases that you realise how you sounded all along. Continue reading ➤   Your Saturday All the benefits of having a G&T over a glass of wine While we know alcohol isn’t good for us, if you’re going to indulge in a drink or two – whether on holiday or in a pub garden – this British favourite could be the best option. With fewer calories than beer or wine, and less sugar than cocktails, our experts explain why a G&T should be the drink of choice this summer. Continue reading ➤ Below are two more articles that I hope will brighten your weekend: It should be black, crumbly, and sweet-smelling. If your compost isn’t like this, make sure to read Tom Brown’s guide to how best to make it. Ensure the heatwave doesn’t get the better of your garden, by mastering the eight ways to heatproof your plot.   Andrew Baker’s Saturday Quiz Gather round for the latest instalment of my Saturday quiz. You can find the answers at the end of the newsletter. On this date in 1858 the new transatlantic telegraph cable was inaugurated when Queen Victoria exchanged messages with which US president? Which conservative newspaper was acquired by the Daily Telegraph in 1937? Before Rishi Sunak and Kemi Badenoch, who was the last Conservative leader to serve as Leader of the Opposition? In 1908, Robert Baden-Powell published a book that would inspire an international youth movement. What was it called? What are the prongs on a fork called?   Get full access Unlock Britain’s best news app and our award-winning website One year for £29 Subscribe now   Ellie’s Weekend Table Cooking projects Labneh, jam, fruity booze and a good cake Peaches with cinnamon, orange-flower water and labneh Eleanor Steafel Feature writer and recipe columnist   In the thick of summer, I find that my cooking swings wildly between two modes. I’m either finding new ways to justify eating bread, cheese and tomatoes for dinner, or embarking on niche kitchen projects. Sometimes it’s too hot, and life is too busy, to do much more than the former. But if your August weekend has a little spare time – just enough for a mindful cooking job – this can be a lovely point in the year to get jamming and bottling, or simply to spend some time making something good. You could start by thinking ahead to tomorrow’s breakfast and making labneh (strained yoghurt) to eat with peaches in citrus and cinnamon (pictured above). And if you’re buying peaches and fancy a project, why not give this peach and lemon jam a go? Pêche de vigne and lemon jam Speaking of stone fruit, Diana Henry has a foolproof recipe for apricot liqueur. Why not make it now and tuck into it in a month or so when summer is a distant memory? You could make a few jars of apricot jam if you have the time and inclination too. Or if you need a quicker apricot fix, Diana’s cake recipe with lime and cornmeal would be a good bet. Upside-down apricot, cornmeal and lime cake If you are barbecuing a lot at the moment, you’re probably in need of a good array of condiments. Romy Gill’s mango chutney seems to go with almost everything. It’s very simple, and keeps in the fridge for two weeks. Happy cooking, and see you next Saturday! Eleanor writes a weekly Recipes newsletter every Friday. Sign up here.   Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor P.S. Please send me your thoughts on this newsletter. You can email me here. Quiz answers: James Buchanan The Morning Post David Cameron Scouting for Boys Tines   One year for £29 Subscribe now

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